Cup assembly for pitting machines



May 19, 1942. o. M. woLFF CUP ASSEMBLY FOR FITTING MACHINES Filed Oct.23, 1940 NVENTOR. /SCMWL ZJ a mfp/M Patented May 19, 1942 HT E D r orien 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a cup assembly for receiving andretaining an olive dur ing the successive steps of the pitting operationin an olive pitting machine.

The invention comprehends a novel cup assembly comprisinginterchangeablel parts sofconstructed and arranged that they may be-quickly assembled and disassembled in order to accommodate olives ofdifferent sizes. The novel assembly comprises Vthree parts, an outercup, an insert adapted to be received in the cup and an inner member orthimble telescopioally received in the cup, the innerA member or thimblehaving its interior contoured to conformablyrreceive an olive of agraded size. By providing thimbles of diierent sizes to receive olivesof various graded sizes, a mere removal of a thimble of a predeterminedsize and a substitution of a thimble of another size, permits the readychanging over from one size to another size olive without the removal ofthe cup.

Considering that olives are usually graded into twelve to fifteen sizes,prior constructions require the complete removal of the cup or cupassembly when pitting olives of a diierent size, while in the'presentinvention all that is required is to insert or substitute a differentsize thimble within the outer cup, although where all or substantiallyall of the various sizes of olives are to be pitted it may be desirableto provide several sizes of inserts.

The present invention further resides in the novel construction of cupassembly in which the olive to be pitted is placed and retained, andthen successively moved to a position in which a cylindrical bladepierces its lower surface and provides a circular or cylindrical cut inthe pulp below the seed or pit, after which the cup assembly is moved toa succeeding position in which a small plunger or needle punotures theolive at a position opposite to that of the cylindrical cut and forcesthe seed or pit and circular section of pulp outwardly through theopening formed by the cylindrical out. v

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,eiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such furtherobjects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear andare inherently possessed thereby.

The invention further resides in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and whileI have shown therein a preferred embodiment it is to be understood thatthe same is susceptible A ing ange 6 providing an opening 1,

of modificationY and change, and comprehends other details, arrangementsof parts,`features and constructions without departing lfrom the spiritof the invention.v

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View in perspective of a carrying table for anolivepitting machine and showing a plurality of cup assemblies forreceiving and retaining the olives during the pitting operation.

Fig. 2 is a View in vertical cross section taken on the line 2*-2 ofFig. 1, but in addition showing the relative position of cylindricalknife for piercing the lower end of the olive while rit is retained inthe cup assembly-and. also showing a small, needle-like plunger forexpelling the pit or seed.

Fig. 3 is a disassembled View in perspective of the 'elements in makingup the cup assembly.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the novel invention is shownas embodied in a carrying table I for an olive pitting machine in whichthis table is provided with a series of openings 2 for receiving aplurality of cup assemblies 3. Each cup assembly comprises an outerholder or cup 4, Vpreferably of metal or the like,

having a peripheral flange 5 at its upper end and its lower end formedwith an inwardly extend- Disposed immediately above this ange 6 andretained thereby is an annular insert 8 formed of any suitablematerial.r This insert is cup-shaped at 9 and is provided with a centralopening- IIJ.

Removably seated upon the upper surface of the insert 8 is a thimble orsocket II of metal or the like, having a peripheral ange I2 and havingits inner surface I3 contoured to receive an olive to be pitted. Thesurface I3 of this member and the cup-shaped surface 9 of the insertprovide a substantially continuous depression or pocket for, andconforming to, the contour of an olive, the latter being shown in dottedoutline at I4 in Fig. 2. The flange I2 limits the downward movement ofthe thimble or socket II by engagement with the flange 5 of the outerhousing ,4.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, olives are placed in successive cups inthe carrying table I and this table is rotated through predeterminedangles or arcuate paths sov that each olive is successively brought intostep by step relation with a cylindrical knife I5 carried in areciprocating element I6, and guided in its vertical movement by ajournal or bearing I 1. In this operation the olive is preferably heldin position in any suitable manner. After the knife I5 has made acylindrical cut in the lower end of the olive and has been withdrawn,the carrying table is moved to another position where the olive ispierced by a needle-like plunger I8 which forces the pulp within thecylindrical or circular cut and the pit or seed of the olive out throughthe aligned openings I and 'I and into a receptacle provided therefor.

In practice I have secured excellent results by employing inserts 8having different size openings ID, although an insert having one sizeopening may successfully be used with olives of approximately three orfour successive sizes, but depending upon the size of pit or seed to beejected therethrough. In the pitting operation it is important that thesize of opening I0 be approximately that of the maximum diameter of thepit so as to do as little damage to the olive as possible.

Screws or other securing means I9 are provided for rigidly retainingeach cup assembly in position. Each thimble or socket II and cup 4 isprovided with a complementary notch and 20a, respectively, for lockingengagement with f the set screws as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and.3.By a mere removal of the set screw each thimble or socket may be removedand replaced by another having an internal contour I3 to conformablyreceive an olive of larger or smaller size. Where olives are to bepitted of a size varying considerably from those previously pitted, itis preferable that another annular insert having an opening more nearlyconforming to the size or diameter of pit of the olives to be pitted beemployed. Also, where the contour of these olives vary considerably fromthose previously pitted, the cup-shaped surface 9 of the insert 8 is socontoured as to closely conform thereto.

It will be clearly apparent from the above description and thedisclosure in the drawing, that the novel invention provides a cupassembly of most efficient design and construction in which the outercup 4 is standard for all sizes of olives and need not be removed forpitting a different size of olive, while the thimbles are made withdifferent internal shapes I I to accommodate each size olive and theannular inserts 8 are formed with several size openings I0 and shapes 9.Thus the operator can quickly change over to pit different size olivesby a mere removal and substitution of another thimble, and in someinstances, another insert.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A cup assembly for an olive pitting machine having a carrying tableprovided with spaced openings for receiving and retaining a plurality ofcup assemblies and each assembly adapted to receive and retain an oliveduring the pitting operation, comprising a cup member adapted to bemounted and retained in one of said openings and provided in its basewith an inwardly extending flange, an insert received within said cupmember and bearing on said flange, and a removable thimble slidablyreceived within said cup member with its base seating upon said insertand its upper edge projecting above said cup member, said insert andthimble having aligned recesses so contoured as to provide a receptacleconforming to the shape of an olive of a predetermined size and toretain such olive during the pitting operation, the outer contour ofsaid thimble conforming to the inner contour of the cup member so thatsaid thimble may be readily lifted out of the cup member without removalof the latter and replaced by a thimble having the same outerconfiguration but having a recess for receiving and conforming to anolive of a size diiering from that received in the first mentionedthimble.

2. A cup assembly for receiving and retaining an olive during thepitting operation with the assembly mounted in an opening in a carryingtable of an olive pitting machine, comprising an inner and outer membertelescoped together and an insert slidably received within the outermember and positioned intermediate the base of the outer member and thelower'end of the inner member and against which said lower end of saidinner member abuts, and a peripheral flange at the upper end of eachmember coacting to locate and properly position the inner member withinthe outer member and permit ready removal of the inner member, and theflange on the outer member locating this member in the opening in thecarrying table, said outer member having an opening extending for thegreater portion of its depth for the ready insertion or removal of theinner member and insert from the upper open end of the outer member,said inner member and insert having an internal recess so contoured asto provide a substantially continuous pocket conforming to the shape ofthe olive to be pitted, and aligned openings in said members and insertfor ejection of the pit.

OSCAR M. WOLFF.

